Land reclassification “last nail in coffin” of performing arts centre

Central Coast Council is pushing ahead with plans to reclassify the site of the former Gosford chambers to operational to pave the way for a vertical TAFE on the Mann St site.

Friends of the Performing Arts Precinct has described the move as the “last nail in the coffin” of a long-promised performing arts centre for the city.

Administrator Rik Hart resolved at the May 23 meeting to proceed with reclassifying the land, which incorporates the former chambers building and land behind it extending to Henry Parry Dr, to free it up for future development.

It was originally acquired early in 2019 to form part of a proposed Gosford Cultural Precinct which was to include a regional library and performing arts centre on a huge site bounded by Mann St, Henry Parry Dr and Donnison St.

Later that year, Council announced plans for the cultural precinct would be abandoned and it would push ahead with a stand-alone regional library in Donnison St.

In 2020 as part of a review of assets, Council determined the land was surplus to its needs and determined it would need to be reclassified from community to operational land to facilitate non-Council uses.

In December 2021 it was announced the land would be bought by the State Government to house a vertical TAFE building in the heart of Gosford, with Council and the Government entering into a conditional contract of sale for the site on February 24 this year, just prior to commencement of the caretaker period ahead of the NSW State election.

The new Labor Government, elected on March 25, is yet to confirm that it will proceed with the sale, saying only that talks are in progress.

In resolving to proceed with reclassification of the site from community to operational, Administrator Hart said if the TAFE project did not proceed, an alternative purchaser would be sought such as a government agency, a public institution or a developer committed to creating a landmark development to contribute to the revitalisation of the Gosford CBD.

Public exhibition of the reclassification proposal in March this year attracted five submissions of objection and one in support.

Friends of Performing Arts

Precinct (FOPAP) has called on Hart to “be mindful of the needs of future generations on the Coast and stop the sell-off of the last remaining prime public land in the Gosford CBD”.

Chair Barney Waters said reclassifying the land would be the “last nail in the coffin of a long-promised performing arts centre for the city”.

“If Rik Hart doesn’t know the history of this community’s fight to have a performing arts centre in Gosford then he needs to do his homework,” Waters said.

He said Mann St was an ideal location for a future performing arts precinct and the perfect solution to breathing life into the CBD.

“Administrator Rik Hart will be leaving town in September

2024, but he should leave the community with at least enough public land in Mann St to develop into the performing arts centre we have long dreamed of and campaigned for,” he said.

“A performing arts precinct in the middle of Gosford is a nobrainer for the city’s day and night-time economy.

“It would be a wonderful legacy for future generations and is the cultural infrastructure that the population of the Central Coast deserves and needs.

“I have heard Mr Hart say that the Council’s finances are back in the black so why does he need to agree to reclassify and sell this land?

“It is a public asset.

“I’m not pretending that we will get a performing arts precinct in the next 12 months